Digital Divide

Dr. Racidon P. Bernarte PUP Open University

Background • Digital economy is moving world towards even greater prosperity by transforming traditional linear business flows into networks of integrated web links. • Internet is rapidly becoming an increasingly indispensable tool in our “an information society”. Globally, more and more people are going online to engage in routine activities such as education, business transactions, personal correspondence, research and information gathering.

What is Digital Divide? Defined as the gap between different individuals, household, businesses and geographical areas at different social-economic levels as regards their opportunities to access IT and their use of the Internet.

• Those who have no access to IT skills and knowledge gradually become less and less capable of participating in an economy and society that is increasingly technology-dependent.

• While many countries are striving to bridge the gap between the information-rich and the informationpoor, there are still great differences in access and usage, as well as social behavior between developed and less developed countries, and within these countries.

People with the ability to have technology benefit more than people who don’t, which creates an inequity. "It is dangerously destabilizing to have half the world on the cutting edge of technology while the other half struggles on the bare edge of survival.” -Bill Clinton (former US President)

What do you think this picture is?

Global Digital Divide The "digital divide" is becoming more of a recognized reality as technology makes phenomenal progress in the new information age. The United Nations Human Development Report 2001 illustrates that: • high income (OECD) countries, with only 14% of the world's population, are home to 79% of all Internet users; • only 0.4% of people in South Asia are online although the region is home to one-fifth of the world's population. • The International Labor Organization estimates that up to a third of the world's population is "technologically disconnected" and that little more than 5% use the Internet.

Household Access to the Internet South Korea Sweden USA Singapore Hong Kong Canada Denmark Taiwan Netherlands Norway

54.7% 54.5% 54.1% 53.3% 51.0% 50.0% 49.0% 48.7% 48.5% 47.1%

Australia New Zealand Switzerland

46.7% 42.6%

40.8% United Kingdom 33.4%

Israel Austria Finland Japan Belgium/ Lux Germary

Source: Nielsen//NetRatings GNETT Q2001

32.8% 31.5%

30.6% 30.2% 29.6% 29.5%

Italy Ireland France Spain Argentina Brazil South Africa Mexico India

28.0% 28.0% 15.7% 15.6% 10.9% 7.3% 4.7% 3.5% 0.5%

Why is this issue a global one? Digital divide is the branch of many problems. If we don’t take care of it, it is likely that these problems will have a less chance of being solved. International Labor Employment

Terrorism

Digital Divide Poverty

Healthcare

Economy

Education

• Today, many countries acknowledge the "digital divide" as a real social problem resulting from a clash between cultural and social systems and newly emerging communications technologies.

• Such disparities might be created by factors such as limited understanding and mastery of these technologies, or by limited opportunities to learn about and use new media.

IT teaching in schools • Digital technologies are changing the role of teachers as well as our understanding of the learning process. These technologies give learners direct access to vast bodies of knowledge, as well as the necessary tools to search for and analyze information as well as to teach students. • To eliminate the potential risk of a "digital divide" in future generations, IT teaching in schools is crucial.

“Computers aren’t magic, Teachers are magic.”

Debate on the priority of ICTs for development – against Critics argue: • ICTs are a waste of money • Funding should be directed to more important areas of impact and real need • There is the risk of disillusionment • ICTs will not necessarily provide benefits and may in fact open people up to new forms of harm

Debate on the priority of ICTs for development – pro Supporters argue: • The digital divide will become perilously wider if ICTs are not promoted • ICTs can support other social and economic goals to improve peoples lives • Access to ICTs and participation in the Information Society will have far reaching benefits

Mobile phone usage in the Philippines

FAST FACTS ABOUT MOBILE PHONE USAGE IN THE PHILIPPINES • Philippines is the SMS capital of the world • An average of 500 million text messages a day (National Telecommunications Commission, 2006) • Mobile phone ownership has risen to more than 25% of the population, six times higher than landline penetration.

Mobile phone subscribers Mobile Phone Subscribers per 100 Inhabitants (Philippines, 2004-2008) 75.38

80

64.64

70 60 50

49.22 39.25

40.68

40

30 20 10 0 2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

YEAR

*the number of mobile phone subscribers has been increasing through the years.

Statistical Profile of the Philippines (Mobile Phone Subscribers, 2004-2008)

*mobile phone subscribers have more than doubled in number since 2004.

Reasons for the increased usage • landline telephone service is notoriously poor • intense competition among telecommunication companies • continuous innovation • Filipinos’ predilection towards the cellular phone  94% of Filipino cellular phone users send text messages everyday, with 70% of these texters sending as many as 10 messages a day (Pulse Asia, 2003)

Uses for Mobile Phone • social networking purposes • allows access to many public service, medical and governmental functions (e.g., report pollution violations, crime) • revolutionized political protest (e.g, EDSA 2 where former President Estrada was deposed)

Comparing the Philippines and India Comparison of Mobile Phone Subscribers Between Philippines and India (2004-2008) 80 75.38 70

64.64 60 50 40

49.22 39.25

Mobile Phone Subscribers per 100 inhabitants (Philippines)

40.68

30

29.36

20

Mobile Phone Subscribers per 100 inhabitants (India)

20.06 14.47

10

7.97 4.69

0 2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

YEAR

*comparison between Philippines and India shows that the former has an even higher density of mobile phone subscribers.

*notwithstanding the remarkable progress made, mobile cellular penetration still remains low in Asia and the Pacific compared to that of the developed world.

INTERNET USAGE IN THE PHILIPPINES

Fast facts about internet use in the Philippines • 28% of Filipinos in urban centers, including Manila, regularly access the Internet (slightly above the world average of approximately 22%) • Internet usage in urban centers has grown from 20% (1st quarter of 2008) to 28% (end of 2008) Source: Yahoo-Nielsen Net Index Initiative

Statistical Profile of the Philippines Summary of Internet Use (Philippines, 2004-2008)

Comparing Philippines and India Comparison of Internet Users Between Philippines and India (2004 – 2008) 8 7 6.62 6 5

5.74 5.24

4 3

6.95

6.95

5.97

5.97

5.4

3.71

Internet users per 100 inhabitants (Philippines)

3.14

Internet users per 100 inhabitants (India) 2 1 0 2004

2005

2006 YEAR

2007

2008

Comparison of Internet users in Asia-pacific

*the level of internet use in the Philippines and India remains low compared to that of upper-middle and high-income countries.

Internet user penetration in Asia-pacific and in the world

*the Philippines and India, that are both lower middle-income countries, have low internet user penetration compared to upper middle and high-income countries in Asia-Pacific.

Pillars Model for Bridging Digital Divide

Importance of “closing” gap Economic equality  Important, possibly vital information may be accessed/provided through Internet Social issues  Raise educational level of disfavoured socio-economic children Gender issues  Eg. To allow girls to access information Democracy  Increased information / Increased participation to elections, etc. Economic Growth  Exploitation of latest technologies provide competitive advantage  Economic benefit further provided to highly educated population  Loop

How to close the gap? 1. Make access easier and wider 2. Make content more useful and relevant 3. Promote entrepreneurial efforts 4. Change laws and policies at national level • foster information creation and knowledge sharing 5. Usefulness • adjust technology to human beings and their needs • provide ICT-enabled solutions to help the poor:  using new technology to provide clean drinking water  improve (rural) health care services  extend quality of education  Internet-connected libraries

6. Define strategy for • combining openness to trade, education, government regulations 7. Investment in human resources 8. Investment in high quality education 9. Inform people • advantages and prospect of ICT

“promote the concept of knowledge societies, rather than that of global information society” [Dutton, 2004, preface]

End! Thank You!

Assignment!

ICT Index of the Philippines 1. Analyse the ICT Development Index of the Philippines focusing on: a. Mobile Telephony b. Computer Technology c. Internet 2. Prepare a report showing the demographic and geographic distribution of the data. 3. Compare the ICT Development of the country with other ASEAN nations. 4. Using the data, discuss the impacts of Digital Divide and how this could be addressed.